Clouded Glory (C&C)

[AgentDrex]

Here is a photo of some cloud formations behind my apartment:

 

[tirediron]

Some very cool cloud formations, a pity the utility company had to put that 'pole and wires right in the middle!

 

[AgentDrex]

I am having quite the time attempting to find a place without poles and lines in the way. I don't have much of the finances required to travel and so most of the photos I take will be within walking distance for me (a few miles here and there). So in this photo, I tried to use the lines to draw the viewer towards the clouds. If I had money to travel, I'd rather spend it on a real camera, this A3000IS is cool and all, but way too short of a lens to do some of the shots I want.

 

[tirediron]

You've got to work with what you've got, right? Good job!

 

[AgentDrex]

That is definitely true. I can't remember how many people have told me "Its the photographer, not the equipment". Well, bah humbug. Does anyone realize its not only the photographer but the equipment as well. A short-lensed point&shoot won't pull off what a long-lens can do no matter how professional the photographer is. On the other hand, give a snapshotter a $3000 camera and they will still take snapshots. I just wished people would be honest and say it is both the photographer AND the equipment, not just one or the other.

 

[dak1b]

ya i like the cloud formations! just the foreground is killin it for me.

 

[JasonLambert]

I love this photo of the pole and wires... Only thing I see wrong is that someone put them pesky clouds behind them.

 

[Derrel]

Not too bad of a photo just as it is; the poles,lines and transformers give an excellent idea of the scale of the cloud formations. No need to make excuses for it. It is what it is, and it's better than many photos shot with much more costly gear, but with less conviction on the part of the shooter.

 

[AgentDrex]

I've been dinking around on the internet and came across an article describing some photography techniques. It mentioned a photo exercise where you walk 20 steps, take a picture, walk another 20 steps take another picture, and so on and so forth. When I do it, I look up and there's a telephone pole, walk 20 more steps and wow, some power lines...GREAT! But I like those transformers on the poles a lot. When the sun hits them right, they just look so, I don't know, industrial. There's beauty in that as well in my humble opinion.

 

[manaheim]

mmm... really?

It's a not-so-well exposed, off-color picture of a so-so cloud formation with random stuff in it. No real focus points or points of interest.

By and large, clouds themselves really don't make much of a picture. They have to be pretty amazingly special to have any real play, and I don't think you have that here.

 

[AgentDrex]

Yeah, I'm a cloud guy...a simple puff cloud gets me going...I could sit on my back and watch these clouds all day...not all clouds are cool...but the ones in this photo were really neat I thought...like it was a big towering cloud but not in one piece...and the feathering clouds around it were just adding something for me...that pole and lines are staples of my backyard, so if they're going to be in the way, I'm going to make use of them...and I live in Minnesota...so I have to have something tree-related in the shot...thanks for your input manaheim...I guess this photo didn't have a main focus point...just capturing another day in the backyard of Drex....

 

[pmsnel]

Maybe a bit obvious, but if you want to capture your clouds without any power lines, could not just climb on the roof of your house or visit a tall building somewhere? It could provide you with a horizon to frame your clouds with, instead of some trees shot from ground level.

 

[manaheim]

Yeah, I'm a cloud guy...a simple puff cloud gets me going...I could sit on my back and watch these clouds all day...not all clouds are cool...but the ones in this photo were really neat I thought...like it was a big towering cloud but not in one piece...and the feathering clouds around it were just adding something for me...that pole and lines are staples of my backyard, so if they're going to be in the way, I'm going to make use of them...and I live in Minnesota...so I have to have something tree-related in the shot...thanks for your input manaheim...I guess this photo didn't have a main focus point...just capturing another day in the backyard of Drex....

Oh don't get me wrong, I like 'em too. I often see cloud formations that I'm really taken with and think "Damn, I wish that would make a good picture", but the trick is that generally it really won't, which is kinda sad...

So as a capture of clouds (aside from some technical issues), I can certainly appreciate it... but as a photo in it's own right, I don't think it carries a lot of impact.

 

[AgentDrex]

Yeah, I notice that too, as I take a photo of some crazy cloud that SHOULD be just as cool after looking at later, just really doesn't have that same feel as when I took it...

 

[AgentDrex]

Well, here is another version of this photo. I used the "Plastic Wrap" filter and burn tool to give the cloud under-bellies an abnormal color and look: